Coupling.



par

`ointment il i Jil.. f3... .ntl-d COUPLING.

Specification ol Letters Patent. Application filed December 14, 1911.

Patented Non. t9., lhlt, seran n. 665,715.

`such as are used for connecting the ends of chains, or for securing check-reins or like devices. t

llhe object of the invention is to provide a coupling whieh will be neat and attractive in appearance, and can he readily coupled and uneouplecl.

ln the accompanyingdrawing, Figure t is a side View ot the coupling, shown as used to join the enlls oi a chain or chains; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View olf the saine on an enlarged seule; Fig. 3 is a side view ot' the saine, the outer easing being` reuiovetl: Fig. el is a siile view ot one portion ol the coupling detached; Fig. 5 is a eross section on the line 5-5 ot' Fig. 2 on a greatly enlargeigl scale; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section, partly in siile elevation, of a modification of the invention; Fig. T is a longitudinal vertical section7 partly in side elevation, of ,the coupling as used for a eheel; rein holder; llig'. 8 is a longituclinal horizontal section of the saine partly in plan View.

Referring to Figs. l to 5 otl the drawing', l indicates a tubular coupling niemher closed at one enti7 anti open at the other. Secured to the closed end ot.' said tuhe l .is a loop 2, hy which it may be connected to a chain or other deviee to he secured. Slidahle through the open end ot' said tuhe l is a. eyliiuirieal hotly of a couplingr ineinber 3 having; a sirnilar loop l secured to its outer enti. From the inner enti ot' said cylindrical hoir y tends axially a stein 5, which at the part. next adjacent to said hotly is also cylindrical but of greatly reduced diameter. 'rit a part l more remote from saicl hotly it is square in cross section. Said stern terminates in a head 7 extending in two opposite directions transversely to the stein.

At about the center of the. tube l. dia xnetrieally opposite to one another. lips tl are l-'oin'ied by cutting them from the inirl elle of the tube, each alongthree sides of the lip, and then bending them inwardly from the tube along the fourth side. The inner edges ot' said lips thus form a retainer for t Aretaining sacl head within the tube l when vthe formation 'passed between saicl lips. A coiled sprink 9 is Compressed between said head anal t.e closed eucl ol the tube l and presses said head against. said lips. lihen 'the coupling member withdrawn the lips serve to retain the eoileil springA within the tube l.

To unite the two coupling members7 the coupling` member l is inserted within the tube l so that the transversely extending portions of the head will he parallel with the inner edges or the lips, and so that sal head can pass between said lips. To assist in turning' the ineinher 53 so that the heafl may he in this nositionmthe loops 2 anelli are arranged so that theyY will then 'ne in planes at right angles to one another. The henri when passing' hetneen the lips compresses the eoiletl spring. and, when it has passetl entirelyy behind saitl lips it. is tur, right angles. and is 'then held very seo in place, beingA pressed against said lips hv saifl coiled spring. For the hotter grades o' jewelry it is prehzrahle to provide an outer tulle l() surrounding the inner tube laind concealing the openings ll, elearly shown in lli; il. which are lett. in the inner tube7 hy ot the lips. In the 'forni of the `invention shown in Fig. (l said lips are pressed inwardly from the inner tube at its open enti instead ol from a mediate portion thereof. antl the outer tuhe l0 extends a eonsiderable distance beyond said end of the inner tube to 'torni a guitle for the cylindrieal hotly of the other coupling gember which is then formed of a tliaineter to it snugly within the outer tube, .'lO.

Figs ariel 8 illustrate the invention as applied to aA check rein holder. In this `torni ot the invention a tube 20, corresponding to the tuhe l in the first-described forms of the invention. atene end elos-ecl'hy a screw cap 2l and at the other end closed except. .tor a vertical (lianetral slot 22. Said 'tube has a downward extension 23 terminating in a holt 24 havingl a nut 25 by which it may he helcl in position. A loop 26, through which the check rein or other device can be passed, has a stem 27, the part ot' which next adjacent to said loop is cylin- (lrieal and the part of which more remote therefrom is square in cross section, said stem terminating in a transversely extending head 28, preferably cylindrical. The width of the square portion of the stem is just less than the width or' the slot 22 in the enel of the tube Q0, so that said square por- CJi 'more remote therefrom tion can pass through, hut not turn in, said slot. When said head is inserted through said slot it abuts against a follower :29 pressed by one end ot a coiled spring 30, the other end of which is pressed against the screw cap 21. To connect the parts of the coupling, the stein having been that the head extends parallel with the slot, the head and stem are passed through the slot until the square portion of the stem has passed entirely therethrough and the cylindrical portion only of said stem is contained in said slot. Said stem is then turned s0 that the head extends transversely to the slot. Cn pressure being removed from the stem, the square portion of the stem returns within the slot. ln this position the loop can swing vertically, the square portion of the stem moving in the. slot. ItY cannot, however, be turned about the axis ot the stem and therefore cannot he uncoupled unless the stein is again first pressed inwardly, so that its cylindrical portionionly is contained within the slot.

It will be observed that the construction embodied in all the t'orms ot" my invention here disclosed is that in which one coupling member has a transversely extending head, and a stem of which a portion next said head is square in cross section and a portion is cylindrical, and the other coupling member has a cylindrical chamber for a coiled spring and a retaining means for the head, said retaining means being formed willi an elongated opening otI suftici'ent width and length to permit. the head to pass thei'ethrough and of width sufficient to permit the. cylindrical portion ot' the stein to turn th'k in, but insutlicient to permit the square portion thereof to so turn.

X am aware that in Letters PatentiNo. 942,330 of 1910 to W. M. Jones and myself, a, coupling is disclosed somewhat similar in placed so i general construction to that now claimed,

but, in the device of said patent, the stein was cylindrical throughout its entire length. Consequently it was necessary to provide recesses in the front end of the body of the casing to receive the terminal portions ot' the cross member and prevent the stem Jfrom turning about its axis. .The formation ot g these recesses was a troublesome and expenl i l l i i sive operation. By forming the stern with the part nearest the other member ot the coupling square in cross section and of safticient width to slide through the slot in the end of the other coupling member, but not. to turn therein, the necessity ot forming these recesses is avoided.

A coupling comprising a coupling inem ber having a stein, one portion 'of which is cylindrical and another portion of which is square in cross sectioinsaid stem being provided at the end adjacent to said latter portion with an elongated transversely extending head, and at the other end with means for connecting it with an element to ho conpled, and a second coupling member toi-med with a cylindrical chamber for a coiled spring and with a slotted head having an inner plane surface, and a coiled spring within said chan'iber, said slot being ot sutlicient length to permit said head to pass therethrough, and ot' sufficient. width to pei init the cylindrical portion of the stem to turn therein and the square portion ot they stem to pass therethrough but insutlicient to permit said square portion to so turn.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto :set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witncsse.'.

HABLAN D STIIW .t lt'l. Nitnesses:

l M, lNino-rrr, D. B. Rioiiiiims.

ttt) 

